Kirchhoff et al identified risk factors for complications occurring in patients undergoing laparoscopic sigmoid resection for diverticulitis. The authors are from the University of Basel and City Hospital Waid in Switzerland.
Patient selection: recurrent diverticulitis (>= 2 episodes with confirmation by colonoscopy)
Outcomes:
(1) medical complications (pneumonia; cardiac; pulmonary embolism; DVT)
(2) surgical complications (anastomotic leak; bleeding; surgical site infection; pelvic abscess; wound dehiscence)
(3) intraoperative complications (bowel or ureter injury; bleeding; anesthesia problem; anastomosis problem)
(4) postoperative complications
Risk factors for medical complications on multivariate analysis:
(1) history of heart failure (odds ratio 3.3)
Risk factors for surgical complications on multivariate analysis:
(1) history of myocardial infarction (odds ratio 3.9)
(2) hemoglobin <= 12 g/dL (odds ratio 2.2)
(3) male gender (odds ratio 2.4)
Risk factors for intra-operative complications on multivariate analysis:
(1) age >= 75 years
Risk factors for post-operative complications on multivariate analysis:
(1) male gender (odds ratio 2.2)
(2) surgeon's experience in laparoscopic colorectal resections less than 70 cases (odds ratio 1.6)
